Corruption has come to stay_ vice president Prof.Yemi Osinbajo

It was gathered that the Budget and National Planning Minister, Udoma Udoma, was also at the meeting.

Speaking on the need for political leaders to use their positions and the leadership opportunity to effect changes that would benefit the citizenry, Osinbajo said leadership was a call to service.

According to him, “How many people will get this kind of opportunity we have to lead? The opportunity to serve is one that must be taken seriously and used for the common good.”

Addressing the bane of corruption, and its attendant abnormality in matters of development, Osinbajo said: “It is in our interest to deal with corruption, this is not moralising, it is an existential threat, it a survival issue.’’

He added: “We need to address the fundamentals of that abnormality. If we do not address it, no matter what we say, things won’t work.

“I think it is very important, especially for us who are in government today either as legislature or executive. We have to address this issue, it is a fundamental issue; everywhere in the world, even where they do not have the problems we have, they are addressing the issue.

“So we must address it and, it is everywhere; look at foreign exchange and you can identify the problems, you fix the rate of foreign exchange at the rate it is and you know what the black market is, look at the arbitrage which is so large; there is bound to be corruption, it is impossible for there not to be corruption.”

But he offered hope that the monetary and fiscal policies are being aligned, adding also that “we are constantly in discussion with the CBN, discussing on how to reduce interest rates.’’

In response to issues of revenue allocation raised by the visiting legislators, Osinbajo noted that emphasis must shift from ‘sharing’ to generating more revenue internally, including in the states.